Difficulties faced by Pakistan's minority Christian community

Updated
March 26, 2013 21:21:00

Rimsha is a 14-year-old girl with Down's Syndrome who faced the death penalty in Pakistan after being accused of blasphemy for allegedly burning pages of the Koran. Hundreds of Christians have faced blasphemy charges since the laws were introduced in the 1980s. Eventually most are acquitted but that doesn't stop them being ostracized and in some cases murdered.

Representing about one per cent of Pakistan's population, they're part of a minority that is marginalised both socially and economically.

Among those here is Harun.

HARUN: Here, the community and Christian people's life is very tough.

They don't give us jobs, and many other problems.

That's why we are in many difficulties in Pakistan.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Most Pakistani Catholics work as low-paid labourers or domestic cleaners.

Joseph Francis is a noted member of Lahore's Catholic community who heads a centre for legal aid assistance and settlement.

JOSEPH FRANCIS: You know, in the Pakistan constitution, under Article 2 is mentioned the state religion of Islam. What is my position and my status?

I have no equal rights, no equal status in the constitution.

I am the minority in the constitution of Pakistan.

I am third degree citizen; I am not first degree citizen.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Joseph Francis says Catholics live under constant fear of attack. The law is also used against them.

In the 1980s, Pakistan introduced tough anti-blasphemy laws. People who are judged to have insulted the Prophet Mohammed or the Islamic religion face long jail terms and in some cases the death penalty.

Most are eventually acquitted in higher courts, but that hasn't stopped hundreds of Catholics having their lives ruined by being falsely accused.

Joseph Francis says in most cases, personal or financial disputes are behind the allegations.

JOSEPH FRANCIS: Some woman is kidnapping, then by force is converted to Islam (inaudble) claim this is the blasphemer, right?

And some people that are Christian in the village have no like to work to their big man, their feudals, so he is attacked by saying he is a blasphemer.

There are so many cases - around about 2,500 in the '96 until now.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Last year, the case of Rimsha Masih brought the problem to the world's attention.

The 14-year-old girl who lives just outside Islamabad was found with burnt pages of the Koran.

She was arrested and charged with blasphemy but eventually acquitted after a local imam was found to have planted the burnt pages on her.

Rimsha and her family now live in hiding, but many members of religious minorities have been killed by angry mobs after being accused of blasphemy.

Rabia Mehmood is a Pakistani journalist who has extensively covered the persecution of religious minorities.

RABIA MEHMOOD: In most of the cases, you are charged and your trial goes into the law courts, right, and law courts are very quick when it comes to conviction of cases which include death penalty, and that is with the blasphemy law as well.

But when it goes to the higher court, most of the cases are suspended or the verdicts are overturned.

So what happens then is when people are outside, they are never integrated back into the society and you have majority of the people are marginalised already.

If a Christian man has been convicted of blasphemy, he already most probably comes from a very marginalised - he's Christian, he's poor, right? For that person to come out and be integrated and accepted into society is, like, there is 99 per cent chance that, by the majority, he would not be accepted.

And your life is worse, because you should not even exist as per the law. The state has declared you anonymous. The clergy has declared you as apostates.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Both of Pakistan's major political parties baulk at changing the blasphemy laws, as they don't want to anger religious conservatives.

Two politicians - the minority affairs minister and the governor of the state of Punjab - have been killed after calling for the laws to be reformed.

As Pakistan heads towards an election, it's unlikely to be an issue up for debate.